Service Opportunity in Vietnam!
A fellow young adult, Jason Morgan, who attended both the Cathedral Parish and St. Paul's University Catholic Center while he lived in Madison writes with a service opportunity for adventurous Catholics!
He writes:
In the winter of 2011-2012, I went on a Badger Catholic mission trip to Camden, NJ. There, I met Virginia Licata, a retired schoolteacher who for years was a summer volunteer English teacher at the St. Joseph Scholasticate in Saigon. Through Virginia, I was able to spend a summer in Saigon in 2012, where I helped with the English-langauge program for the Jesuits in formation. It was a wonderful time, and I hope to go back as soon as I can.
In the meantime, the scholasticate is looking for an English-speaking volunteer to help for three months between June and October, and three months between November and the end of March. (I believe it is OK to go for just three months in either time period.)
The volunteer would pay for the flight to and from Vietnam. But all lodging and boarding are completely free. During my time at the scholasticate, I was given a small stipend, more than enough to take the bus into downtown Saigon and enjoy a day of sightseeing from time to time. We also went on several excursions, such as into the mountains to another Jesuit center and to the Mekong Delta for a day of relaxation. The food at the scholasticate is wholesome and the facilities are clean. The men are overjoyed to have volunteers, and the welcome is warm and kind.
Anyone who is interested should feel free to write to Fr. Nghia at
ptnsjjr@yahoo.com . I can also provide contact information for other priests from other countries who have spent time at the scholasticate. Ms. Licata would also, I'm sure, be happy to answer additional questions (
virginialicata1@gmail.com), as would I (jmorgan3@wisc.edu).
This is a wonderful opportunity for someone with a few free months and a desire to serve the Church in a very exciting way!